‘Jungle Cruise’ Casts Jesse Plemons as a Villain

Dwayne Johnson’s Jungle Cruise movie has a cast that is inexplicably good. Emily Blunt is starring in it! Jack Whitehall! Edgar Ramirez as a villain! But it’s gonna take more than one bad guy to stop Dwayne Johnson from cruising the jungle, which is why Jesse Plemons has been added to the cast.

It seems like Plemons’ turn as a megalomaniacal nerd torturing digital versions of his coworkers in a VR Star Trek ripoff has alerted filmmakers to the fact that he can be very scary. Variety reports that he’ll be playing another baddie in the movie — perhaps, based on today’s version of the ride, a hunter chasing around the jungle wildlife. Variety hasn’t said whether he and Ramirez’ character are working together, or if we can expect two villains who are not only fighting the Rock, but also fighting each other. That would be fun.

Jungle Cruise will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who’s mostly known for action-dramas and horror movies like the House of Wax remake, Non-Stop, and The Shallows. Jungle Cruise is based on the Disney Parks ride that takes attendees on a guided tour of the rivers of the world, such as the Amazon, the Nile, and the Mekong. Blade Runner 2049 screenwriter Michael Green wrote the latest version of the script, and the film will begin production this summer.